Agenda item

That the report be received.                 

The Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager introduced a report to provide Members with an update for the first and second quarter for 2015/16 for the following:

·         Headcount and Full Time Equivalent (FTE)

·         Organisational Age Profile

·         Employee Turnover and Stability (Including Redundancies and Early Retirements)

·         Attendance (Including 100% attendance)

·         Performance Appraisals and Development

·         Resource Management (Agency Workers)

·         Equality and Diversity

She explained that the dashboards for schools reflected teacher and non- teacher information which had been requested by Members at the previous meeting of the Committee.  The headcount had continued to decrease as expected and the number of days lost per FTE had also reduced.  The Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager advised that in relation to the undertaking of appraisals, there had been issues with the current software which had given cause for concern in terms of comprehensive and accurate data relating to appraisals.  However, she added that the work was ongoing to rectify the matter.  The target for agency workers had been exceeded with the majority of spend being in Streetscene & Transportation and Social Services, which was reflected in the dashboard information.  There were 60 operational vacancies within Streetscene & Transportation pending the implementation of the service review and some of the vacancies had been offered as alternatives to redundancy and the service was planning to fill a further 10 to reduce the number of agency workers.  The Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager explained that agency usage continued to be a risk for the Council but added that the issue was being closely monitored. 

            The Chief Executive referred to the Programme Boards which continued to monitor efficiencies.  He spoke of a recent meeting on the use of agency workers within Streetscene & Transportation where it was acknowledged that the use was high but it was important to achieve the correct balance to ensure the service could be delivered. 

            The Cabinet Member for Corporate Management, Councillor Billy Mullin, thanked the Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager for the report.  He said that the use of agency workers was undertaken in industry and suggested that agency workers had been well utilised within the authority. 

            Councillor Robin Guest expressed significant concern about the suggestion in the dashboard that nine agency workers had been in post for two to three years and one for three to four years.  The Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager confirmed that this was correct but that work was ongoing with the services involved and the position was being monitored carefully.  However, she added that it did not mean that one person had been in the posts for the length of time shown but was the period that the placement had been open. Councillor Arnold Woolley commented on the high figure for absence within Social Services and Streetscene & Transportation which were the two service areas with the highest rate of agency usage.  The Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager confirmed that the areas did have the largest amount of absence due to the manual nature of the work.  She added that Streetscene & Transportation had improved and explained that longer term absences also had an impact on the figures.  Councillor Mullin spoke of the work undertaken with Occupational Health to reduce absences in the service. 

            Councillor Richard Jones referred to the information on turnover and stability and queried the large number of employees who ‘left voluntarily’.  He said that these were unplanned and queried whether this posed a risk to the Council if the posts could not be filled.  The Interim Human Resources and Organisational Change Manager explained that this was the option that had been ticked on the form completed when employees left the authority, but added that consideration of removal of the option could be considered and more specific reasons included instead.  The Chief Executive confirmed that some employees left to take up other employment and the actual number of resignations was very low. 

RESOLVED:

That the report be received.